Cricket: The Mohali Mess

After omitting four players for the third test against India, including vice-captain Shane Watson, Australia’s shortcomings were laid bare in Mohali. Despite scoring 408 in the first innings and losing significant time to rain delays, India still claimed a six-wicket victory to take an unassailable 3 – 0 lead in the four test series.

James Pattinson, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Johnson and Watson all felt the knife prior to the match, dropped from selection consideration after failing to submit a presentation to Mickey Arthur regarding what qualities they brought to the team. Australia felt the impact hard.

On paper, the squad was mediocre. Steve Smith and Xavier Doherty aren’t good enough to spin on the international stage. Their impact was minimal, and both were certainly outshone by India’s superior spin attack.